Financing for equity in pre-primary education
1. Education resources to subnational governments
2. Education resources to institutions
3. Education resources to students and families
4. Social policies and family support programmes
Introduction
Key financing indicators (UIS Data)
The official entry age to pre-primary education (UIS) is 3 as of 2024. In the same year, the net enrolment rate for pre-primary for both sexes (UIS) was 21.29%. Pre-primary education is neither free nor compulsory according to UIS data.
Governance
The Ministry of National Education (MEN) is primarily responsible for financing and overseeing pre-primary education. Public pre-primary education is provided for ages 3-5 in pre-school, kindergarten, and first grade classes. MEN administers public pre-primary through its Directorate of Preschool Education (DEP) and regulates private pre-primary institutions under the national education framework. Early Childhood services for children aged 0-6 are delivered through the Early Childhood Centres, “Case des tout-petits” (CTP), managed by the Agence Nationale de la Petite Enfance et de la Case des Tout-Petits (National Agency for Early Childhood - ANPECTP), which operates under the ministry responsible for family and social affairs. ANPECTP oversees the establishment and functioning of CTP centres in coordination with local authorities.
Tuition-free status
Public pre-primary education is not guaranteed as tuition-free according to national laws or policies. Official public-service guidance indicates that public schooling does not require monthly tuition payments, but schools may charge registration fees that vary by institution, and families cover additional costs such as supplies and transport.
1. Education resources to subnational governments
The management of pre-schools has been partially decentralised to the community level where municipalities are responsible for school construction, equipment, and co-management of schools, under the General Code of Local Authorities. The central government transfers funds for pre-primary (along with basic education funds) to local authorities through two mechanisms. The Decentralisation Allocation Fund (Fond de Dotation de la Décentalisation – FDD) disburses money for operational expenditure while the Local Authority Capital Investment Fund (Fonds d’Équipement des Collectivités Territoriales – FECT) allocates investment expenditures. Allocation criteria are established in Decree No. 209 of 2008 and detailed in the annual interministerial order, which sets distribution criteria for the FDD mainly based on population size and administrative status but no specific equity-weighting for pre-primary education.
2. Education resources to institutions
The state partially finances the Cases des Tout-Petits/Early Childhood Centres (CTP) programme, which is a community-based approach to early childhood education for ages 0-6. CTP arose in 2002 out of the Integrated Early Childhood Policy and is managed by the National Agency for the Promotion of Early Childhood and Childcare Centres. The programme is intended to help fill the gap in pre-primary education, especially in rural areas, however, provision is not explicitly equity-targeted since the establishment of centres is driven by community-request. Centre establishment follows a formal demand-led procedure submitted by local authorities and community organisations and set out in the official administrative process for requesting a CTP centre. The state is responsible for funding salaries and infrastructure while local management structures mobilise complementary resources for day-to-day operations. Additional support for the programme has been provided by the Japan International Cooperation Agency.
3. Education resources to students and families
No publicly accessible Ministry of National Education instrument was identified that establishes a dedicated financial support mechanism for pre-primary students and their families (such as vouchers, fee waivers, or targeted cash transfers linked to preschool participation).
4. Social policies and family support programmes
No social programme was identified that is explicitly targets pre-primary education costs. However, broader national social protection schemes provide family-level support that can indirectly affect children’s access to education. The National Family Safety Grant Programme (Programme National de Bourses de Sécurité Familiale, PNBSF) provides cash transfers to poor households to support human capital investments and may help families manage schooling costs, including for young children. Senegal also implements complementary social protection mechanisms, such as productive inclusion packages and shock-responsive safety nets under the national social registry, which support vulnerable families with children. These programmes are administered through the Delegation for Social Protection and National Solidarity (DGPSN) and related ministries. No official policy document was found that links these social protection transfers directly to pre-primary education cost coverage in the sources reviewed.
This profile was reviewed by Abdourahmane Ba, Senior Expert in Evidence, Management, Public Policy Evaluation, and Development Strategy.
